He recorded the story last year with Woody alongside him and believes the broadcast will be a fitting mark of respect to the memory of his pet, the BBC said.

Hardy spoke about his pet’s death in an emotional blog post at the time, when he revealed he first bonded with Woody when he found him as a stray running towards a motorway while he was filming Lawless.

Afterwards, Hardy frequently took him to film sets and red carpet premieres and Woody appeared in Peaky Blinders.

Stealing the show at the Legend premiere (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Fleabag tells the story of a dog who needs a home and a boy who wants a dog. One day they find each other and Fleabag finally gets the loving home he has been looking for.